Reviews

Staff Review
young woman with long dark hair

Humanity Writing Contest

By Katie Boord
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Nov 13, 2024

Johnson County Library is pleased to announce that Katie Boord has won our writing contest on the theme Humanity with her poem "Liquor Store."  

Katie Boord is from Prairie Village, KS. She works in a geology lab by day, and sings in an indie rock band by night. You can find more of her writing on her Substack, Backyard Notes.

Liquor Store

Staff Review
woman smiling with long hair braided on one side wearing a hat with a black band

The Reluctant I Writing Contest

By Annie Newcomer
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Oct 4, 2024

Johnson County Library is pleased to announce that Annie Newcomer has won our writing contest on the theme The Reluctant I with her poem "Gray Cat In Ephesus." 

Staff Review
white woman with long dark hair in an over the shoulder ponytail in a black button up shirt with a collar and tatoos on her forarm

The Reluctant I Writing Contest

By Morgan Schneebeli
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Sep 9, 2024

Johnson County Library is pleased to announce that Morgan Schneebeli has won our writing contest on the theme The Reluctant I with her short story "An Occurrence at the Cafe." 

Staff Review
EBSCOhost

Secondary Resources


Rated by Karyn H
Aug 30, 2024

Writing a research paper can induce panic in even the most lion-hearted student.  You need a topic and tentative idea of how you want to develop it.  Then you need primary and secondary sources to support and build upon your topic.  I discussed options for primary sources in a previous review.  This review will discuss options for secondary sources. You cannot just use any website. Wikipedia—the much-loved free online encyclopedia— is forbidden by educators from appearing in your Works Cited page due to its unreliable creditability.

Staff Review
cover image of the head and neck of a bison against a bright yellow background

Prairie Edge

By Conor Kerr
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Alice Pi
Aug 29, 2024

In his second standalone novel after the award-winning debut Avenue of Champions, published in 2021, Conor Kerr once again presents the lives of Métis people in Edmonton​​, Alberta: his own home town. Of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry with roots dating back to the early years of fur trading on this continent, the Métis are one of three Indigenous groups recognized in Canada’s constitution.

Staff Review
Man with short hair

The Reluctant I Writing Contest

Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
Jul 12, 2024

Johnson County Library is pleased to announce that Cody Shrum has won our writing contest on the theme The Reluctant I with his poem "Catfishing the Elk City Reservoir, ft. Bugs."

Staff Review
cover image includes a painting of a small island surrounded by sea and sky

The Summer Book

By Töve Jansson
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Alice Pi
Jul 11, 2024

The Summer Book by Töve Jansson is on its way to our shelves. This is a new-to-us old novel: a Scandinavian classic about a grandmother and her six-year-old granddaughter summering on a tiny island in the Finnish Archipelago, a cluster of more than 40,000 islands in the Baltic Sea.

Staff Review
Book Club Image

Book Club Tips & Tricks

Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Karyn H
Jun 25, 2024

Reading and discussing books is one of life’s simple pleasures.  Librarians facilitate book discussions at several Johnson County Library branch locations.  I’m one of the lucky librarians creating safe spaces for patrons to find intellectual fellowship and express their love of literature.  Do you dream of hosting your own book club but do not know how to get started?  As a veteran book discussion facilitator, I’m here to offer some tips and tricks to help you build your own successful book club.  I’ll cover how to select books for discussion, adult book club kits,

Staff Review
woman smiling with reddish-blond hair and blue laniard

What Remains Unspoken Writing Contest

By Samara Klein
Star Rating
★★★★★

Rated by Helen H.
May 15, 2024

Johnson County Library is pleased to announce that Samara Klein has won our writing contest on the theme What Remains Unspoken with her piece "David and Davey'."

Samara Klein is an attorney who specializes in representing children with disabilities.     

  David and Davey